Samsung Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean AT&T & Verizon saga

The Android Jelly Bean update for the Samsung Galaxy S3 seems to be taking its time to reach Galaxy S3 owners, although T-Mobile USA has pushed out the Jelly Bean update to their Galaxy S3, whilst we reported yesterday that the Verizon Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean update VRBLK1 has been released but the official version has still yet to come.

Those on T-Mobile can grab the Android Jelly Bean update over the air, or via Samsung Kies. Whilst the Jelly Bean update for the Sprint version of the Samsung Galaxy S3 was made available to owners back in October, which leaves the two top US carriers still waiting to deliver the official Jelly Bean update to the very popular Android device.

Originally the word was Verizon would deliver the official Android Jelly Bean update to their Samsung Galaxy S3 owners by the 16th of this month, which of course didn’t happen. The VRBLK1 build for Verizon is a leaked ROM that some have said could be the final version of the update, but hasn’t yet gained official approval. So it is possible Big Red will deliver the official update sometime soon.

Of course there are risks to using leaked ROMs, especially if you are not too sure what you are doing, so it might pay to skip that VRBLK1 build and continue waiting for Verizon to get their finger out and actually push out an official Jelly Bean update for your Galaxy S3, although just how long you might have to wait is anyone’s guess.

That leaves AT&T and their Galaxy S3 customers still waiting for the Android 4.1 update. Again we reported back at the beginning of this month that reports were saying the Android Jelly Bean update should arrive for AT&T Galaxy S3 owners by the following week, the second week of November. However, that failed to materialise, and AT&T users are still playing the waiting game.

Outside the USA, old Sammy has made the Jelly Bean update available in over 30 countries, although those customers gaining the update relies on just when their carrier pushes it out.

It does seem somewhat strange that the two top carriers in the United States still haven’t been able to deliver the Android Jelly Bean 4.1 update to their Samsung Galaxy S3 owners, and there is still no official word on just when that is likely to happen, which in turn is extremely annoying for those that own the device on those carriers to say the least.

Thus for both AT&T and Verizon customers it looks like you will have to continue the waiting game stage for some time yet, but hopefully both AT&T and Big Red will be able to deliver that Jelly Bean update before the year is out, perhaps as an early Christmas present.

Do any of our AT&T or Verizon Galaxy S3 owners think it’s about time their carrier stopped their heel dragging over delivering the Jelly Bean update? If so feel free to voice your opinion to our comments area below.

Comments

87 thoughts on “Samsung Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean AT&T & Verizon saga”

As a new customer to Verizon, I must say I’m thoroughly disappointed and shocked they have yet to release this update. Come on! You guys are supposedly the #1 carrier in the US? Get your sh*t together already!

Verizon is always the last and worst upgrader. The talent pool is obviously slim there. Customer perception has never mattered to them. Negative branding experiences like late updates are laughed off. The full force of their personnel is aimed only at sales. Post-sale support is the pathetic joke of the industry. They had to change their name once to cleanse the stench. Maybe it’s time to do it again. Just thank Yoda you don’t own a Thunderbolt.

I worked for Verizon for 11 years, and yes they have the best network, but anyone I’ve met who was high enough in the company to make decisions like when to roll out an update, seemed to be inadequately knowledgeable on the ins and outs of smartphones in general. Surprising as the company is so profitable. One would imagine they would want the best people for the job.

strangely, i think that might be the reason. sprint has no defined iphone contract and neither does tmobile (already received jb). but att and verizon do. that could be the reason they face a delay. since s3 is already emerged and ip5 is still growing, theyre prolly delaying to increas ip5 sales.

sg3 with ics is already bettery than the iphone5. not to sure this statement stands true nor would the carriers do such. Sales are sales to them and sg3 or any android still holds the highest sales vs apple.

First to update would be a pretty decent draw for customers. That’s why I believe the Nexus line is so popular. I know that they want those contracts for upgrades, but more happy customers would make more money, anyway, and the fact that my two year phone was updated a couple of versions of Android wouldn’t stop me from signing that contract. In fact, I might even be happy to sign it with that security.

I believe that Google and Android Phone Manufacturers (Samsung, HTC, LG, MOTO..) should change their Policy and follow Apple’s example.
At&t, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint..should not be able to play with software in this devices.
That is only way customers will get updates on time.
Or they can still play their game and loose Millions of customers in USA because of Nexus 4 and Google’s future models. Only bad thing about Nexus is there is no SD card slot.

This is the one downfall of Android compared to Apple. I wish they could find a way to streamline the update process and send out updates promptly after the phone manufacturer is finished with their final build. AT&T needs to step up here.

negative. just because you have a nexus phone doesn’t mean you will get the update as soon as its released. I have a Galaxy Nexus on Verizon that I had to trick my phone to pushing the update in. This is the carriers fault, not the phone itself.

I am OK with waiting – but I want to KNOW WHEN they will release it. I want some form of commitment from AT&T. I understand it takes time to get it tweaked and tested – but to keep customers on the hottest device in their arsenal waiting in the blind, is completely unacceptable to me.

AT&T, be aware – customers remember things like this, and it will be taken into consideration the next time we buy a phone or commit to a contract.
You could build a loyal and enthusiastic customer base if you took updates like this serious and took pride in delivering timely updates – AND KEEPING CUSTOMERS INFORMED OF PROGRESS!

Amen…my son and daughter have Verizon, and they have already updated on their phones, for some time now. ATT used to be the leader, I expect no less than that for the upgrades. I am seriously considering Verizon on my next go around.

I am a BYOP user, using an AT&T SG3.. AT&T can KMA! next time I will buy a T-mobile phone. When a company like that (at&t) walk on customers like that, then its time to abandon them all together! At least with T-Mobile, i see they care enough to to get releases out (Although none of the carriers were that fast because of bloatware)… anyone want to buy an AT&T Galaxy S3? 🙂

This is all marketing game. If att can release Note 2 running on Jelly bean, why the hell they cannot release Galaxy S3 jelly bean? It is not that difficult to accomodate the screen size in such advanced and open operating system. I had captivate with att before and saw the same sxxxx over there while moving from Froyo to Gingerbread.

I am changing my carrier when my ATT plan is due for renewal. That is the sentiment of many of the people I know. If other carriers can have the update out what is taking so long from ATT. And no communication on it makes it worst. If was the iSheep crowd perhaps I would not be so offended.

of course these two are always last. AT&T doesnt want to piss Apple off and Verizon always releases phones with updates around the sametime an update is supposed to come out. They want you to upgrade your phone first….Then they will push you the upgraded OS after the phone upgrade rush has ended.

Well, even though, I truly believe it’s a market strategy about iPhone 5 like most people think of it, I just hope they come up with the 4.2 JB update instead of 4.1.. since ATT&T and Verizon are taking time to update and Nexus already has 4.2..and since they are releasing the 4.2 soon to other phones.. it might be the case of the delay.. let’s hope for that. However, it’s ridiculous what they are doing…and the problem is that we just have to wait once our opinion doesn’t matter to them..

I just received an email response from Verizon that said ” Samsung is the one that should be pushing out the Jelly Bean OS Update for The S3 1535 & that they do it by Internal Serial Numbers of your phone”!

Not true. Once Samsung releases the update, Verizon puts it through testing before releasing it. I’ve called Verizon four times asking about the 4.1 update and received four completely different answers: 1. “The update has already been released and all of the Galaxy S3 owners at the call center were already running it on their phones” 2. “Update is unavailable at this time and Verizon is notorious for taking too long to release updates” 3. “Update unavailable but should be by the end of the year because Verizon releases updates in the middle and end of the year” 4. Last and most honest answer after speaking with level two technical support, “Verizon has no known release date for 4.1”. So glad I switched to Verizon.

I am very disappointed why I shifted from iphone to samsung s3 in the first place and that too with Verizon as my carrier. This silence of the Big red on jelly bean updates are not acceptable. I think Samsung should unlock all their S3’s with verizon officially , so that Customers can freely update their OS.

Tempting, but there are a couple of features that are missing from the Nexus 4. It doesn’t have removable storage, no 4G LTE, no removable battery. Sorry, but I’m not willing to give up those features just to get JB.

I personally think they owe us an answer….the silent treamment isn’t what they were doing when they tried to sell us the unit….they were singing like a canary. Now that we are locked in contract they will answer when they are good and ready…makes me want to change from AT&T after 15 years…

At&t does this crap all the time ..im really fed up with them….the continue to screw us..the consumer qll the time..we need to do a boycott…the month of december all of us should refuse to pay our bills for that month….

I still can’t believe Sprint and T-Mobile beat them to the punch. That is about as embarrassing as it get’s. Unfortunately these companies give 0 fucks about their customers. How can it take so long to get software ready? This is unacceptable.

What really is the answer here? T-mobiles network is still mediocre in too many places which makes it a call dropping pig. Sprint is garbage and a call dropping pig. AT&T’s network is still shakey in too many areas which leaves us Verizon being about the only one worth a damn and even then I’m not a fan (been with them over 5 years now). They continue to screw people. The Bionic ICS update (cluster F) and then the terrible ICS release for he RAZR/MAXX (Buggy as hell) and now they release a new device and burn the midnight oil to release JB for it while they make the owners of the previous releases wait till WHENEVER? Only thing that’s going to change this is us but we know most people are OK with mediocrity. Class action law suit would work simply because Verizon has missed way too many “release” dates. In the end it’s a stupid phone and the sun is going to rise and set with or without them 🙂

my brother in law in malaysia and another in the uk have received their jellybean updates . It seems to me that at the very least AT&T could inform their loyal customers as to when the update will be available!

At&t will continue to test our patience, simply because WE always say to ourselves that we won’t sign a contract yet we do. So, since we have a 2 year contract with our carrier of choice, sit back and relax, we’re definitely in for a ride whether we like it or not.

I bought my galaxy s3 on Oct. 1st and Verizon representative said it was coming soon. Still waiting for it, what are they waiting for is my quetion? Being onIe of the top carriers they should’ve been done the upgrade:-/ hopefully it comes soon and excited about it….

I think they are likely skipping 4.1.1 and doing either 4.1.2 which is just bug fixes or 4.2 which has new features. It is kind of embarrassing that they’ve been testing so long that the software is outdated.

This is where Apple has it right…Samsung should cut the carriers out of the loop on this. They have a big enough footprint in the mobile market share to tell AT&T and Verizon that it’s their way or the highway!

Too late, Im already pissed at this.. Next freaken time Im going unlocked, and no contract… I refuse to get trapped into a god damn contract.. this is BS that i buy “the greatest android phone” and yet i cant get a freaken update in a timely fashion…

They just announced/released a new Android version.. I gotta wait a year to get that!? Effff this

Sprint and tmobile got jb out before verizon and at&t im hopes it will d rawl more customers. To them showing we csn get or updates out faster dont go with the big boys they slow which seems to be true

Seriously, ATT and Samsung should be leading the pack and get these updates out. We all agreed to two year contracts; it would be nice to get the update BEFORE the phones become obsolete and our contracts are over. As Lee Iocoa said; “Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way!!”

I know how everyone feels here. I went through this with the gingerbread, ics, and jelly bean! I love the android devises but shortly after purchasing my new gs3 and learning of the delay for the update I decided to return it and try out the iPhone 5, which I really enjoy! I just knew that as with every android device in a month a bigger better updated version would arrive and there goes the value of mine. All the sudden your left without updates and no value to your device. This is my opinion only not a shot at android which as I mentioned earlier I do like and mostly prefer very much.

I have sent emails to both Samsung & Verizon & they both say it’s the other one who should be pushing out the Jelly Bean update!
Samsung says Verizon will push it out soon!!
Verizon says Samsung will push it out by Internal Serial Numbers!!
So there you have it ” The Other Guys going to do it “

How how HOW is it that Apple can announce their latest software update and have it available THAT DAY, or within a week at most… yet I purchased my Galaxy S3 THREE MONTHS AGO because of all the hype over Jelly Bean, and I STILL am waiting, with absolutely no hint at a release date from either ATT or Samsung?!?!

AT&T is full of you know what, they are far from slick t
They could have beenpushed this update but their to busy releasing new phones that they won’t push the update forcingtjose wjo know to go another route but guess what mine is out the door to another carrier I’m really tired of their bullshit their always late with updates goodbye att

AT&T has always been like this, my old android phone (Sony Ericcson X10) only made it to 2.3 until sony stopped supporting updates for my phone. But AT&T only supported my phone up to 2.1 so even though there was a update for my phone AT&T never allowed me to get it.

Think it is time for a law suit against At&T. They are denying us access to the latest operating system. Software “Upgrades” is one of their selling points they use. It is available and they are not delivering. Only because of apple.”If they are not going to support it, don’t sale it”.

The only reason we’re waiting is so they can bloat it with their crap. We, the consumers, are tired of this. Finally we have a solid, reliable, multi-carrier, Android smartphone that can legitimately best the iPhone in almost every way, yet iPhone users continue to get updates regularly and on-time from Apple while we wait for AT&T and Verizon to turn it into their own little marketing spy platforms. We bought these phones with the promise that they’d be upgraded to Jelly Bean – and they better get the next update too. That is, unless Jelly Bean doesn’t roll out for another two years. I wouldn’t be surprised.

Consistency is still Apple’s greatest strength in this mobile phone arena. I hate it.

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